Connie has a Bakers Cyst

The other day we finally found out what is wrong with Connie's leg. She has a Bakers Cyst which I could explain but it's easier for me to just copy what www.medicinenet.com describes:

"What is a Baker cyst?

A Baker cyst is swelling caused by fluid from the knee joint protruding to the back of the knee. The back of the knee is also referred to as the popliteal area of the knee. A Baker cyst is sometimes called a popliteal cyst. When an excess of knee joint fluid is compressed by the body weight between the bones of the knee joint, it can become trapped and separate from the joint to form the fluid-filled sac of a Baker cyst. The name of the cyst is in memory of the physician who originally described the condition, the British surgeon William Morrant Baker (1839-1896).


What causes a Baker cyst?

Baker cysts are not uncommon and can be caused by virtually any cause of joint swelling (arthritis). The excess joint fluid (synovial fluid) bulges to the back of the knee to form the Baker cyst. The most common type of arthritis associated with Baker cysts is osteoarthritis, also called degenerative arthritis. Baker cysts can occur in children with juvenile arthritis of the knee. Baker cysts also can result from cartilage tears (such as a torn meniscus), rheumatoid arthritis, and other knee problems."

So tomorrow she goes to see a specialist who will determine if it just needs to be drained or if surgery is required. We just hope that whatever is needed she will be able to recover quickly and return to her normal self.

Of course she could have been well on her way to recovery if the Nurse Practitioner hadn't misdiagnosed her condition as Thrombophlebitis without having an MRI done to verify and then gave her the exact opposite instructions to follow as she should have had. It wasted a lot of time and made her go through a lot of physical pain and mental anguish that she didn't need. That's the American medical system for you. Hurry up and wait.